When Kyle Haran met Melissa Herald, he thought she was loud and over-the-top. Still, it wasn’t those initial personality differences that prevented the two from going out—the bride and groom, both in sales, worked together and were hesitant to mess with their professional relationship. “I thought he was very cute, but I wouldn’t consider it since we worked so closely together,” says Melissa. Luckily, their blossoming mutual attraction eventually overpowered workplace etiquette. They had a proper first date at Floriana restaurant in Dupont Circle, and, needless to say, sparks flew.

After four and a half years of dating, Kyle popped the question with a mix of spontaneity and romance. “He proposed to me in our apartment one very early morning before work,” says Melissa. “It was a total surprise!” The couple reversed the mood of their intimate proposal with an all-out wedding celebration (feathers! sequins! balloons!), which took place June 22, 2013, at the Westin Georgetown.

Bride’s Favorite Wedding Detail: “There were so many: sequin table linens, pink feather arrangement on our escort card, pink and gold Champagne flutes. But I suppose the oversize balloons were a real showstopper for the whole day—I even used them as inspiration for our invites and Save the Date cards.”

Groom’s Favorite Wedding Detail: “The ceremony, because the officiant told our relationship’s whole story, which made it very personal.”

Biggest Surprise of the Wedding: “How much everyone loved our photo booth! People were going back five and six times to get more and more hilarious pictures,” says Melissa.

Wedding Favors/Decor Details: “There were so many special decor details, including the tassel garland we hung as the photo booth backdrop, the sequin table linens, the beautiful chair decorations our coordinator made for our sweetheart table, the gold cake, and the pink uplighting that made all the difference for both our ceremony and reception,” says the bride.

Wedding Theme:“‘Opa, opa, and away!’ because we honeymooned in Greece and wanted to tie in the balloon theme.”

Four Words That Describe the Wedding: Sparkly, joyful, personal, elegant